The conference will build on the work and outcomes of two previous conferences, held in Abu Dhabi: ‘The Future of Falconry in the MENA Region’ (October 2016) and ‘Combating Illegal Trade in Falcons in the Middle East and North Africa’ (April 2017).

The aim of this conference is to advance Saker falcon (Falco cherrug) conservation and specifically address the issues of illegal trade and sustainable legal trade.

10:40 – HE Majed al Mansouri, Vice-president for Middle East and North Africa Region, IAF: ‘The significance of the Saker Falcon within the MENA Region – A Strategy for Regional Conservation and Combatting Illegal Trafficking’.

11:40 – Robert Kenward, Chair, the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Thematic Group for Sustainable Use and Management of Ecosystems (SULi): ‘Measuring populations and managing harvests: Sakernet II’.

17:00 – Election of a Committee to formulate a Statement on outcomes of the meeting.

20:00 – Meeting of the Committee to prepare the conference statement.

Conference aims:

This conference will be a unique opportunity to bring together important stakeholders from across the saker range including the Gulf States, Central Asia, Pakistan, and China, falconers, scientists, and researchers, to agree on the next steps for saving the Saker.

The IAF believes it is especially important to involve local communities, especially when it comes to illegal trade. We also believe that it is important to find ways to replace unsustainable illegal trade with a sustainable legal harvest of this species.

Such legal harvest is important for Saker conservation and would also benefit local communities financially and culturally.

Conference background:

Saker falcon (Falco cherrug) has undergone a significant population decline in the past 20 years largely due to electrocution, habitat degradation, and illegal trade.

The IAF is committed to conserving the Saker through the implementation of the Saker Global Action Plan (Saker GAP) of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

The IAF has already contributed meaningfully to the Saker GAP with several projects:

1. The Sakernet web portal to enhance trust and communication with various users of the saker:

3. Supporting scientific research by financing satellite tags to monitor saker population migration and to help combat illegal trade;

4. Standing as a proponent of a Motion at the 12th World Congress of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to address the critical issue of electrocution;

5. Taking part in two strategic meetings for falconers from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region examining the requirements of falconers and the issue of illegal trafficking and killing of raptors, organised by the IAF Vice-President for the MENA Region, H.E. Majed Ali Al Mansouri.

The IAF also recognises that while illegal trade is a significant threat to the survival of some populations of this species, the saker is of real cultural significance to many people including those who practise the UNESCO-recognised ancient art of falconry.

To register for the conference, please get in touch info@iaf.org. For information on accommodation and travel, please proceed to this page.